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“Go on.” The man in charge takes a step towards me, steadying his gun. He smirks. “Try it.”
“No,” Tom rasps out, shaking his head. “Zeke. Fight.”
My stomach drops as I realise what he’s saying. “I don’t know when the next fight is.” I look over at our captor. “I have a way to get your money, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”
He stares at me for a moment before clicking the safety on and resting the gun against his chin. “Colour me intrigued.”
I suck in a deep breath. “I’m a fighter. There’s an underground fight ring. Ten k payout per fight. Double that if I win, and I get a cut of the takings.”
“And if you lose?”
I grit my teeth and stare him down. “I won’t.”
“I like your confidence, kid.” He smirks. “What’s the problem?”
“I won’t know when the next fight is until I get the message two hours before.”
He cocks his head to the side. “One fight isn’t enough to pay off your debts.”
I shrug, feigning calm as my pulse quickens, and I try not to pass out. “It’s the best I can offer. Take it or leave it.”
“Hmm…” He plays with the safety as he considers my offer. I clench my fists and release them, waiting for his response. “I’ll give you the chance to prove yourself. If you win, you fight for me until your debt is paid off. If you lose, your brother loses his life.”
I flinch.No pressure then.“Deal.”
He nods, and his lackey removes the chain from Tom’s neck and tucks his gun in the back of his pants. “Your brother has my number. You better let us know when the fight’s going down. I want to take a look at my investment. If I don’t hear from you in seven days, the deal’s off, and we’ll be back to claim our debts.” He taps my cheek with his gun, and I move out of the doorway to let them pass.
I drop to my knees when the door closes behind me, the adrenaline wearing off. What the fuck did I just agree to?
“Harley,” Tom chokes out, and I bring my gaze up to his. “I’m sorry.” Guilt is painted all over his face, and I just shake my head. I don’t want to hear his excuses.
I force myself back to my feet and cross the room to him. I grab the scissors off the desk and cut him free. Tom rubs at his wrists.
“You really fucked up this time.” The coldness in my voice surprises the both of us. I turn to leave, but he grabs my arm.
“I was trying to keep a roof over our heads.”
I scoff. “And now I’m trying to save your life.” I pullfree from his grasp. “Christ, Tom. Do we not have enough going on with Dad in hospital? How the fuck did you get yourself caught up with these guys?”
He drops his head into his hands. “I don’t know.”
“Is it drugs? What are we dealing with here?”
He shakes his head. “It’s not drugs. It was… I thought it would be okay. We lost some business when Dad went to prison. A few of our regulars stopped coming in, and word spread. No one wanted an ex-con working on their cars. The bills started piling up, and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? We could have figured it out together.”
“You had enough going on. I didn’t want to worry you. I was talking to my ex-cell mate, and he said his uncle could help out with a loan until I got on my feet. I was hoping people would come back when they saw how hard I was working to build the businesses reputation back up.”
“How’d that work out for you?” My hands tug on my hair, and I scream my frustration. “Fuck!”
“Harley, I–”
“I don’t want to hear it, Tom. I can’t be here right now.” I stalk over to the door, storming out into the cool night.
THIRTY-FIVE
LILY
